IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Demesne Road, MANCHESTER, M16 8PH

The strong early morning sunlight throws dramatic shadows across the sandstone flagstones. This part of Demesne Road had been fenced off, no doubt for some redevelopment work to take place.

This footpath which joins Demesne Road to Princess Road and runs alongside Alexandra Park was under threat of closure in the earlier part of the 20th century. Local people fought a campaign to keep the footpath open and were successful. Had it been closed, a major detour to the south or to the north would have been needed for pedestrians when the park was locked up for the night. The grounds to the right were owned by the YMCA in the second half of the 20th century which had a major building nearby.

The sign gives notice of an experimental cycle route through the park.

These tennis courts are positioned opposite an old derelict cafeteria.

This cafeteria is situated opposite some tennis courts. Once a cool retreat for the users of the park, paying witness in its design to a more genteel age, the structure had been abandoned to the ravages of the weather, nature and local teenagers. Extraordinary though it may seem, a bull used to be kept behind this cafeteria, with a ring in its nose. This was a fearsome sight for young children and I cannot account for this. Someone loved "Chantelle 97"? Taken at 8 a.m.

Looking across the lake

The sorry state of the old cafeteria, with its wrought iron supports, seems more pronounced in the quiet sunlight of the early morning.

The ornamental lake in Alexandra Park always had a population of ducks and swans. It is also used by fishing enthusiasts, who probably exercise some control over the potential excesses of deliquents.